Will the Nook be available in stores?

[VampJoe]

I'm just wondering if I could walk into my local B&N when the Nook comes out and pick one up or is it just going to be a buy online thing?

[Kevin]

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VampJoe wrote:

I'm just wondering if I could walk into my local B&N when the Nook comes out and pick one up or is it just going to be a buy online thing?

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We'll have demonstration nooks available in every Barnes & Noble store at the end of November. You'll be able to order nook at any store, and many stores will have nook available for immediate sale. Our store locator will have this information available once nook arrives.

[msfinnegan]

Will the Nook and the accessories be available at the Barnes & Noble Stores soon? 

[NancyDrew2]

Customer and employee enthusiasm for this device is really going to suffer in stores not carrying the nook.  I understand some stores not being shipped as many units as others, but to leave some stores out entirely is just wrong-headed.  Selling an online order is going to be pretty tough when customers could just drive down the road to another store.  Another killjoy, no employee or Member discount.  And I WAS so genuinely excited about the holiday season and the nook.  I hope the company will be seriously rethinking these issues before November 30.

[athenagwis]

I have to say I am surprised it won’t be available at every B&N store.  I can understand running out, which would be disappointing for some, but to not have it in every store.  Seems silly.  I would much rather buy a nook in store, even with free shipping online since then I don’t even have to wait overnight to have it in my hands.  I also hope B&N considers putting them in all stores.

[RedStateGuy]

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NancyDrew2 wrote:

Customer and employee enthusiasm for this device is really going to suffer in stores not carrying the nook.  I understand some stores not being shipped as many units as others, but to leave some stores out entirely is just wrong-headed.  Selling an online order is going to be pretty tough when customers could just drive down the road to another store.

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Reality check:  That "other" online bookseller has only offered its e-reader for online sale since its introduction, and neither sales nor enthusiasm has seemed to suffer because of that seemingly limited retail opportunity.  In fact, I would guess if you asked the upper echelon of that company, they would claim that not sticking it in every big box retailer has only added to its mystique and therefore has generated additional sales, not reduced them.

On a more practical note, how do you predict demand for a product that has not yet been released?
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the initial supply of nooks is not unlimited. Therefore, how do you determine which stores get how many of each unit? Last quarter sales? Same quarter sales last year? Proximity to other stores? Average household income of store trade area? Do stores in Silicon Valley get more than those in midtown Manhattan? No matter how you slice that turkey up, someone's going to be disappointed.  As an example, my nearest B&N is two hours away. Now if my best friend's cousin's grandmother's hairdresser assured me that store would have nooks in stock and I went on a special trip only to find out that wasn't true, or that they ran out, how ticked am I going to be? Will I have warm & fuzzy thoughts about Barnes & Noble?  Probably not.

If I were giving retail advice to B&N management, I would advise them to reconsider putting any nooks in retail stores until at least after January 1st, 2010.

Anyone remember the Tickle Me Elmo craze of a few years ago? Remember the news reports of fully-grown adults fighting each other--in stores--over a child's toy?!  No retailer wants a repeat of that with any item for sale, and especially not during Black Friday weekend, which is already a zoo for most of American retailing. Add to that the attendant issues of selling a product few are familiar with, and you have people who can barely operate a cell phone returning units because of reasons such as "the backlight won't turn on".  This stresses already harried staff members who have a difficult enough time processing book returns because of the volume of customers during that time frame. Be grateful that not every store will carry the unit and a friendly piece of advice--avoid those stores that do have the unit for sale that weekend.  Trust me, you'll thank me later...

[RedStateGuy]

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athenagwis wrote:

I would much rather buy a nook in store, even with free shipping online since then I don’t even have to wait overnight to have it in my hands.

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Reminds me of that ancient line:

"Instant gratification takes too long!"

[Veronica5588]

I purchased the Kindle on Monday and received it on Friday during the week I logged onto BN and found out about the nook, and its features I've been researching e-readers for some time now, I have decided to return the Kindle unfortunately I will not get a full refund so hopefully I have made the right decission on getting the nook can't wait to get my refund so I can Pre order my Nook

[Astoria]

Why won't you get a full refund. I thought if you returned your Kindle right away you got a full refund. I love my Kindle I hope you are not sorry that you returned your Kindle to get the Nook.

[cbfairport]

Amen, RedStateGuy! All very good and sound thinking. I'll be comfortably at home awaiting delivery versus getting into the in-store mayhem. I can wait, thank you!

[Therinia]

Can I pre-order the Nook at my local store, or do I have to wait until it is released at the end of the month?  

(I'd rather not have my funds frozen for 5 days if I pre-order online, as some have reported.)

Answered it myself by calling the store when it opened...  I was told I could pre-order at the store.  I would still have to give credit card info, but the card would not be charged until it shipped (sounds like it would still be delivered to my home, not be available for in-store pickup).  So I guess the hold would still apply.  It is still early yet;  perhaps as the release date gets closer things will change/updated info will be available.  I'd rather just pay cash and pick it up in the store the day it is released...hopefully my store will be one that carries the unit for in-store purchase.

[arc3sat]

It's a little disconcerting to have this massive marketing program for the Nook, but the demo unit won't be in the stores until the end of November.

Somewhat disappointing.

[RHWright]

Yes*

*Allocation of units may be limited by store volume and anticipated demand in any store, so ask your local store if they are set to carry stock in the store. Some lower demand/volume stores may only receive the demo unit.

As to pre-ordering in store. As of Saturday, the answer is yes. But they were not able to do it through the in-store (Bookmaster) system. Essentially it was the same as going online and pre-ordering. So, for now, save yourself the trip.

The only difference being that for the store to properly receive "credit" for the pre-order they have to set about a new bn.com account for you and your nook. If you order on an existing account, even if you do it in the store, they will not be credited for it. So you may be told you have to set up a new account, but this is not true.

[NancyDrew2]

Customers are already walking into stores expecting it to be there, and the release date is November 30.  They are excited about the ability to try before they buy, which they don't get with the Kindle.  B&N will be walking customers in stores that don't carry it.  In-store online orders will be a tough sell.  They'll just go to the nearest store that does have it or order from home themselves.  And why wait until January and miss out on all that holiday traffic into the stores?  I appreciate you offering your alternate point of view, but I still don't agree.  The very stores who won't be carrying it are the ones who want and need that volume.  They will be hoping and praying for (undamaged, unused) returns so they'll finally have some units to sell.

RedStateBlueGirl

[JeevesMom]

As another RedStateBlueGirl, I'm sorry to say that I agree with RedStateGuy. RedStateGuy is not incorrect when he refers to many people and their lack of knowledge regarding anything to do with technology. To hear people talk, it's always a defective product, never that they didn't take the time to learn how to use it. I'm just grateful I've never worked in customer service in technology/electronics. 

I'm somewhat of a geek and if you've read some of the other message boards here (particularly the Wi-Fi, 3G posting), you'll see that some prospective purchasers clearly have no understanding of what they are and how they work. They ask the same question multiple times because they don't even understand the answer when it is supplied. Unfortunately, I suspect that's the majority of potential users. 

My nearest B&N is over 100 miles. Actually, the nearest "anything" to where I live is over 100 miles. I really don't want to be waiting in line behind one of those people when all I want to purchase are books and gift cards.

If I were an employee at B&N whose salary/bonuses were based on instore volume, I might care how many units the store had to sell or how many people order directly at the store.  As a consumer, I'm happy to make the assumption that it's available online if it's not in store inventory should I choose to make the trip and suffer through the holiday crowds. I can wait the 3-5 days that it usually takes for B&N orders to arrive.

[pnoon]

I agree. I would think having demo models in stores would spark interest and increase online (pre-order) sales.

I am leaning toward a Nook vs. a Kindle but I will not buy either until I can see and touch one.

[JeevesMom]

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pnoon wrote:

I agree. I would think having demo models in stores would spark interest and increase online (pre-order) sales.

I am leaning toward a Nook vs. a Kindle but I will not buy either until I can see and touch one.

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pnoon: That's exactly where I am. I would like to make a to B&N trip to play with one. However, as much as restocking fees annoy me (if I assume the item will be resold at the original price and not discounted because I tested it), it may make more sense for me to order one, try it for a few days in the manner I intend to use it, and return it if it doesn't fit my needs.  

It's a tank of gas for a trip to the nearest B&N and it's worth the remaining $10 to avoid the holiday crowds and the non-tech oriented consumer who will also want "see and touch one".   

[LenEdgerly]

You can return your Kindle within 30 days of purchase for a complete refund, and Amazon pays the shipping to return it.  So I'm confused to hear of only a partial refund.

[teaontheveranda]

Reality check back to reality check:

You always want to PERFORM BETTER than your competitor, not hope to do the same as, or as well as. BETTER. I will always pay extra for something in order to have it in my hands when I want it. My guess is that since most of us are so busy we would all rather not contend with having to wait for something to ship to us, or worse, having to track an order that doesn't arrive when we just have so many other things to do. I have been waiting for another company to finally sell an e reading tool that I can actually hold.  Rather than reading FAQs or boards or sending customer service (more to do and more waiting) an email asking all of the questions that I have.

I'm with the majority of consumers here who are hoping that Barnes rethinks it's choice.

Barnes would do well to add a survey to the emails they send us asking us what WE prefer. It's always about the customer-remember?

[BlessedMama]

I called my local B&N store and asked them when the demonstration Nook's would be in the store. They told me that our local store and several other stores will not have a demonstration Nook at all. They went on to say that they and other stores will only get Nooks to sell after they met some sort sales qouta.

I refuse to buy anything that I can not hold in my hands and see how the thing works! So how will I find stores that will in fact have a demonstration nook?